Drainage improvements planned in Newton Tracey

Essential drainage replacement work will start on the B3232 in Newton Tracey in North Devon next month (July).

Drainage pipes beneath a near 2km section of the road need to be upgraded after survey work found extensive collapses and joint issues.

A repair scheme will get underway from Monday 1 July and is expected to take around seven weeks. Teams will be working extended hours to try to reduce the duration of the scheme.

Due to the narrow width of this stretch of the B3232, the road will be closed from Monday 1 July to Friday 26 July from Newton Cross towards Alverdiscott, while from Monday 29 July to Friday 2 August the road closure will be from Prospect Corner to Rooty Cross and from Newton Cross to Prospect Corner. The road will be open at weekends, where it is safe to do so.

The road will be open to traffic from Monday 5 August to Friday 16 August but temporary traffic lights will be in place from Newton Cross to Prospect Corner to complete the final elements of repair work.

Access to The Hunters Inn will be maintained throughout the scheme. Customers will be able to travel to the pub from the Barnstaple end between Monday 1 July–Sunday 14 July and Saturday 20 July–Friday 26 July. Access will be from the Torrington end between Monday 15 July–Friday 19 July and Monday 29 July–Friday 2 August.

Due to the current drainage problems, the road is prone to water flowing across it, which can be hazardous during winter and also damages the structure of the road. For the safety of the public the County Council is looking to resolve the issues during the summer.

To minimise disruption to the local community and businesses, the road closure has been timed to coincide with work being undertaken on the road by South West Water between Monday 15 July and Friday 19 July. A local landowner has also liaised with the County Council over taking advantage of the closure to cut their hedge.

During the road closure a diversion will be signed via B3227, A377, A39, B3232 and vice versa, although local motorists may use their local knowledge to take their own alternative routes.